What is NOC?

Contents

What is an NOC code?

Introduction

The National Occupational Classification (NOC) is Canada’s national system of organizing and describing occupations. It can help you locate information about occupations found throughout Canada’s job market.

The NOC is a useful tool for job seekers. You can use it to research:

job descriptions

educational requirements

required skills

related occupations

The NOC is often used by employers to help them write job descriptions and identify skill requirements for new job postings.

The NOC is also used by many government agencies (including Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) to identify skills shortages in the Canadian job market.

The NOC is updated every 5 years by Employment and Social Development Canada and Statistics Canada. The most current version of the NOC is at:

How to select the correct NOC code

NOC for Immigration

Note: If you need to select your NOC code for immigration purposes, you may want to consult with an immigration professional to make sure you use the correct code. The sites below can help you get started.

NOC for Job Searching

Knowing the NOC code for your occupation before doing a job search can make searching easier and faster. Government job boards such as Job Bank and WorkBC organize job postings by the NOC code, so if you know the NOC code you can easily search for all jobs under that code.

If an employer includes a NOC number in a job posting, you are able to check the job description that will list special requirements for experience or education. The NOC also lists any related professions that require the same skills.

Note:

Even though NOC is a standardised system, many private companies are unfamiliar with NOC and may describe a job title differently than the NOC.